Odda of Devon

Odda of Devon was the Ealdorman of Devon during the 9th century. His victory at the Battle of Cynwit in 878 saved Alfred the Great's army from being attacked from two sides and destroyed.

Biography
Odda became Ealdorman of Devon in 851, and he was a faithful servant of the Kings of Wessex. In 871, King Aethelred of Wessex had Odda watch over Mercia, London, and East Anglia to have forward knowledge about any Viking plans to invade Wessex. In 878, he led an army of West Saxons to defeat Ubbe Ragnarrsson's invasion of Devon, defeating and killing him at the Battle of Cynwit. Odda's victory prevended Ubbe from completing the encirclement of Alfred the Great's army in the Somerset marshlands, allowing for Alfred to win a decisive victory at the Battle of Edington that same year.